Special Fund Ok’d For Ineel Money

Legislation is on its way to the Senate to create a special fund for the $30 million the Department of Energy and the Navy will give to Idaho to cope with the phase out of some activities at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.

The House voted 68-0 for the bill on Monday.

Sponsor Rep. Jack Barraclough, R-Idaho Falls, said the state has received the first $6 million for the fund and will receive about the same amount for the next four years.

Barraclough said the money is dedicated to economic development and diversification for the area around INEEL. The state is soliciting proposals on how to spend the money.

“This will enable us to expend this money in the area where it has to be spent. There will be no raiding of this money for floods or any other project,” Barraclough said.